Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries

With a mix of seasonings — including cinnamon — and a fool-proof method for tender, perfect oven fries, this Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries recipe is so good, it could turn a sweet potato hater into a lover.

My husband doesn’t like sweet potatoes. He won’t eat them. He turns his nose up when I mention them. It’s one of many veggies that he just doesn’t like. So the other night, I whipped up a batch of Super Easy Low-Fat Oven Fries and made a batch of Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries for Will and I. Yum! Two kinds of low-fat fries with dinner . . . perfect.

Did I mention that my husband hates sweet potatoes? Okay, just checking. That’s important. See, you can imagine my surprise when Shawn saw me plating the food and asked for some of the sweet potato fries too. He asked to eat them. Of course, I couldn’t say no (even though I wanted to eat them all myself. Mine! All mine!). How can you say no to that?

Perhaps better than his requesting some, he ate the whole handful I plopped on his plate and declared them “not bad.” High praise, ladies and gentlemen. High praise.

Will and I, of course, ate a bunch of these Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries. These were really yummy. I’ve tried to make sweet potato fries before, but they never came out as tasty as these (definitely finding the right seasoning combination helped). I hand cut mine, but I recommend using a mandolin to ease the prep time. I am just glutton for punishment. Seriously. Who hand cuts fries when they OWN several devices that will do it for them? Geez.

In any case, if you are looking for easy direction on how to make sweet potato fries, look no further. These Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries are perfect.

Now, a bit about sweet potatoes before I fork over the recipe. According to World’s Healthiest Foods, sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin A and vitamin C – both powerful antioxidants. It also is considered an antidiabetic food, which means that it can stabilize blood sugar and lower insulin resistance.

Peal the sweet potatoes. Cut into strips that are about ½ inch wide on each side.

Place the sweet potatoes into a resealable plastic bag. Add oil, salt, paprika and cinnamon. Seal the bag and shake well to thoroughly coat the fries. Spread the potatoes out onto the baking sheet in a single layer.

Please note that cooking times are an estimation. Different ovens cook differently so you may need to increase the time to reach desired doneness. Ovens should also be regularly calibrated to ensure that the temperature inside the oven is the temperature on the dial.

Hi, I made these last night and let me say yummy,yummy,yummy. So easy(as long as you use a potato cutter that is.) I’ve tried to make sweet potato fry’s before but they didn’t come out crispy. These were perfect!. I listened to the other suggestions made and I think the key was making sure they were sufficently separated on the baking sheet Crispy on the out side, soft and creamy inside.

Shivani, that’s unusual. Try adjusting the cooking time for your oven — every oven is different, so perhaps yours may need to cook for a short time.

Did you know that you are supposed to calibrate your oven temperature every so often? It’s true. The accuracy of oven temperatures varies over time and you are supposed to use an in-oven thermometer to ensure that your oven is heating to the temperature it says it is.

Loved the use of paprika and cinnamon together as in the past I haven’t used paprika before. Superb flavor – my boyfriend and I have decided this is our favorite sweet potato fry recipe! Thanks. We’ll be making them again very soon!

This is so great! This is the second time I am making this, and its truly a hit! To make it easier for me, I cut them in disc size like but not as thin as potato chips.
Delicious and healthy! Can’t beat it
Thanks!

Thanks for sharing this recipe! 🙂
I tried making it this afternoon but my fries didn’t come out crispy at all. I followed the instruction and left the fries in the oven for 30+ minutes. I must’ve done something wrong… 🙁

These were awesome. I messed up by baking them at 350 instead of 425, so i baked them for about 15 more minutes at the higher temp and they were still really good. I’m betting if I make them right next time they’ll be out of this world. Even turning out not exactly right, I still ate the entire pan of them because they were so yummy!

Hi,
At school my children were served sweet potatoe fries for lunch for the 1st time,and they LOVED them, is there a store bought brand that they come in? I can’t imagine the school serving “homemade” sweet potatoe fries…If I have too,LOL, I will have my hubby attempt to make these..Janelle…P.S. What is a potatoe cutter? You mean a vegetable slicer?

Cori, you really need to weigh them. Weights vary based on size and density of the potato — when you are buying them, just use the store’s scale to determine how many you need. (Ask an employee if you can’t find a scale. They have them.)

Zara, make sure you are using a spatula with a thin edge. I prefer a metal one in this case.

Lynn, if you make these, be sure that your tray isn’t overcrowded because if it is, they won’t get crispy. And the flipping every 10 minutes is necessary for crispness. Personally, I don’t see it as a chore at all. It’s just part of cooking. If you do, then this might not be for you.

The trick to this recipe in my opinion is soaking the fries in cold water for 30 seconds before coating with the oil & seasonings. I drizzle the rest of the mixture from the bag on the fries and they come out perfect every time! My 9 month old loves them!

Thank you for the recipe! My doctor told me to eat more sweet potatoes and to use coconut oil as much as possible. Your recipe came up at the top of my Google search and I am thankful for the reader comments (esp. the suggestion about coconut oil!). I will be making these tomorrow and I’m excited to post a review.

And, to Dana – aren’t you supposed to keep coconut oil in the fridge? That’s how it came when I bought it and I haven’t used it yet because it’s like parafin wax. Do you scoop out some the night before for a recipe? The doctor wants me to use it as lip balm, too, but I can’t imagine how if it’s always in the ‘fridge as a solid. Just curious.

Wow, this recipe was fantastic! I didn’t even use “regular” sweet potatoes; I had to settle for Japanese white yams because that’s all I had available when shopping (we live overseas). I was a little nervous about the cinnamon and paprika combination, but they were perfect together. My husband and one-year-old loved them, though my 5 year-old wasn’t quite as convinced.

It’s funny because my boyfriend is the same way he hates sweet potatoes, but I made these and they were AWESOME, and of course my boyfriend LOVED them!! You should submit this recipe to the Oxygen magazine.

I have to admit, I am one of those picky non sweet potato liking husbands. We were trying to think of something to make for dinner tonight and realized we were out of potatoes, the regular kind that is. I was thinking we could fry the sweet potatoes. I searched for “sweet potato fries” on google and yours was the very first listing. Very easy to make and yes it was tasty. 🙂 For those of you who like it a little spicy, sprinkle some cayenne pepper on it when served. Absolutely delicious. The only other sweet potato dish I ever liked was mashed sweet potatoes with cheddar cheese and jalapenos. Great job !

Thank you for the lovely recipe. I used the recipe to make garlic potato fries to go with my favorite veggie sandwich and mango milkshake. The fries turned out fantastic. I will ‘have’ to try the sweet potato fries next. Can’t wait!

I loved loved loved these sweet potato fries. I have never liked sweet potatos and when I made these for my husband he just fell beside himself. they come out so crispy on the outside and nice and mushy on the inside. They smell amazing and taste even better.
My only comment is that I have to leave them in the oven for almost an hour to get done. It all depends on what type of oven you have.
But an amazing recipe non the less. You are great for posting this!

I made these tonight and they turned out soggy. Am wondering what went wrong. The taste was ridiculousy yummy anyways, but want to try again & see how much yummier they are crisp. I sprayed some cooking spray on the aluminum foil and took another reviewer’s suggestion and drizzled the extra liquid on top of the fries. Do you think one or both of those did it?

Googled for sweet potato fries and up popped yours. Hubby has to increase his beta carotene because of his eye diseases. I’m tired of just baking them so I’m looking forward to a go at this. I’m going by the reviews and they sound great.

Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! They turned out perfect, crispy, not soggy at all and not burned,they were so delicious! Plus, they made my kitchen smell wonderful while cooking!!! My 3 year old scarfed them down, as well as her 4 year old friend who was over to play. Even my 9 month old loved them! Thanks again!

My 14 year old daughter, who just recently became vegetarian, has been bugging me to make theses. I wish I had done it sooner. OMG! They were so delicious. Everyone scarfed them up. Little brother wasn’t too wild about them, but said they were ok. I think I might try a little less oil next time too. I even forgot to flip them, and they were still amazing! Thanks so much for posting this. Had no idea sweet potatoes could be this yummy!

Could you deep fry in veg or peanut oil, etc., like regular french fries ? Had them at a restaurant but they were kinda hard and didn’t seem to have much flavor ? Restaurant is a fantastic place with home style made foods – especially BBQ.

Thankyou so much for this recipe. We are on a low carb program , changing our eatting habits. Sweet potatoes are high in potasium which i am defficeant in.so this works for us .they are Soooo000000 good.

I love this recipe and have made them several times…my boyfriend however likes fries that are crispier (these always turn out a little limp for me) any suggestions on how to get these a little crispier or is this just a trait of sweet potatoes?

These are great!! To answer some of the questions, I think if you overcrowd the pan with too many sweet potatoes, they wont cook correctly and will get soggy instead of crispy. Be sure to leave space between each one, and turn them every 10 mins, so they get crispy on all sides. Yum

First and foremost let me tell you Ikea knives are not the way to go about cutting potatoes into fry like shapes. Part of my finger may or may not be cooking with these fries! haha. Other than that, I followed the recipe, might have cut them a little thick but we’ll see how they turn out. Just put them in the oven. I’ll let you know how I did in about 30 mins. 🙂

I tried my own version and they came out great!
Took 2 sweet potatos and cut them into strips. I used 3 egg whites and dipped all of the fries in the white then layed them on a greased baking sheet. Seasoned with a mix of paprika, greek seasoning, chili powder and garlic powder. Sprinkled the seasoning mix all over. Baked at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, while flipping the fries every 10 minutes. Let them cool and served with ketchup and fat-free mayo. Soo good and crispy! This is so simple and quick! I wanted to make another batch! Hope this helps and thanks for the inspiration!

These were GREAT! Thanks for the recipe! Like others, it was the first hit on Google. Hubby liked them a lot as well and we’ll be trying sweet potato fries more often!
Note to self: Go buy a mandolin! My hands hurt after trying to cut 2 by hand.

These are REALLY good! Finally, something more ‘savory’ to do with the sweet potato. I’ve made them a few times with EVOO, I actually like the way they taste with the burned edges. My interest is peaked with the mention of coconut oil, I think I will try that next time! Thanks again for a fantastic recipe 🙂

Just a note about the coconut oil…I saw that some people thought that it was not high in cholesterol because it is not an animal product. However, coconut oil is a fat consisting of about 90% saturated fat and will contribute to raising your LDL cholesterol. It is not something that I would recommend cooking with on a regular basis. Canola oil is a healthier option as it does not have any saturated fat, but is full of “good” fats (mono and polyunsaturated). Just a tip from a nutrition student!

Here’s a tip for those who want to maximize the health benefits of the sweet potato – Don’t peel them when cutting up for plank style fries or potato wedges – makes for additional fibre and lots quicker and less fuss when making your own.

I’m from the south and we have been frying these thangs for a very long time. It’s good to see some of you yanks noticing our food a little more each day now. legitamizes our existance here south of the Mason Dixon line. Thanks 🙂

from Julie:
“Coconut oil would be delicious I’m sure, but it’s high in calories and cholesterol.”

you may be interested to read a book by Paul Chek : How to Eat, Move, and be healthy. You may find calories and cholesterol to be a good thing from the correct soure, i.e. non-processed, whole, organic foods.

Love this recipe! I use canola oil, though, because it is healthier and I like the taste of it better as well. I also use Lawry’s Seasoning Salt instead of using just paprika. I use a lot of cinnamon too. Makes them taste sooo good. I love when I get crunchy ones, but I don’t mind if they’re a little soft.

On the nutritional properties of coconut oil, there’s no cholesterol as Dana noted. But, it’s EXTREMELY HIGH in saturated fat (12 grams per Tbsp) – canola & vegetable have the least (1 gram per Tbsp), then olive & peanut (2 grams per Tbsp). Saturated fat will clog arteries the same as cholesterol. Let’s be careful out there!

I have 3 kids (7,5,& 4) and a husband that does not eat vegetables. This is one of the few foods that the whole family eats!!! Thanks a bunch for sharing the recipe. Sometimes mine are soggy too but I hand cut them and they tend to be the larger ones, I need to get a mandolin I suppose for more even cutting. Course my daughters prefer the soggy ones, weird kids 🙂

This was my first attempt at making sweet potato fries. I will never have to look for another recipe. This one was AMAZING. My fries came out a bit burnt-looking on the outside, but that’s probably b/c of my oven. The cinnamon adds a nice touch and great flavor. thanks for sharing!

Thanks for this! I also made a combo of fries tonight and used your cinnamon and paprika combo with olive oil on the sweet potato fries. Didn’t measure anything though, just coated lightly with olive oil, tossing about a bit in the bowl, and then shaking paprika and cinnamon and salt on until it felt right. Came out great! Baked at 425 for 30 minutes or so, turning now and then.

Left out the paprika, extra cinnamon, baked, and dipped them in low fat vanilla yogurt. A very yummy, healthy alternative to pumpkin pie! My fries also come out not soggy, but not really crunching, unless a little burnt, which I actually kinda like.
As to the coconut oil debate… I know a few people who swear by the health benefits of the “not over processed” “more natural” coconut oil against the “very over processed” vegetable oils. Nature vs Science… who should one believe? from an undecided who is waiting for her first shipment of coconut oil to try.

I love sweet potatoes, either baked, steamed or deep fried. It is a great vegie and also good to your body, but not on the deep fried one, which is just too greasy. Once in while, I’ll have the deep fried sweet potatoes. The baked one is great alternative for the deep fried one. It gives you the crispyness that we are looking for. So, this recipe is wonderful for people who are looikng for low fat, but crispy sweet potato fries.

I love sweet potatoes. They were a “mainstay” in our diets, in North Carolina. We baked, boiled, mashed, made desserts and other dishes with the them. I recently had them fried in a restaurant. Homemade
is even better. Thanks for the recipe

THANK YOU! my husband ate them! It’s so hard to get him to eat something that’s good for him. I used regular vegetable oil since he doesn’t like olive oil. Also, I accidentally shook in a BUNCH of cinnamon, probably a tablespoon.

My husband took a fry off my plate and before I could protest that he needed to give it a try, and I didn’t like it at first, either, he said “This is good!’ and ate more. Thank you so much. I am thrilled.

Just retired this summer, I do a lot of cooking for my 18 year son and my nephew, and I try to teach them the value of cooking and eating healthy.
These sweet potato fries are delicious and much better for us than the traditional french fries. Besides, the three of us in the kitchen together is a great bonding time.
Again, thanks for a fast side dish.

YUM! Oh my gosh! Thank you! I have always HATED sweet potatoes (and french fried for that matter) but I was looking for a way to eat them and reap the healthy benefits. I can NOT believe how delicious these are! I want to go make more now!

Looks so easy! Husband agreed, halfway through cutting the potatoes, that some type of cutting device is a good idea. This is the first time we’ve tried sweet potatoes, though, so buying one will probably depend upon whether we are as thrilled with our results as your long chain of respondents have proved to be. Thanks for making the recipe available.

Sweet potatoes are a challenge, Lucinda. A super sharp knife and some practice does help though. If you do go for a cutting device, avoid plastic ones … it won’t stand up to the stubborn raw sweet potato.

[…] many vegetables that he turns his nose up to. It was even more of a surprise when he liked those sweet potato fries. Yes, and the moral of that story is that if you treat a picky man like a two-year-old and […]